AGN Chair Urges Africa to Align Climate Action with Industrial Growth
The Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Dr Antwi Boasiako Amoah, has urged African leaders to align climate diplomacy with the continent’s industrial ambitions. He said Africa must place energy sovereignty, industrial policy, and access to finance at the centre of its climate strategy to avoid dependency and ensure long term transformation.
Speaking at the African Union Assembly in Addis Ababa, Dr Amoah explained that global climate diplomacy has shifted beyond emissions targets to include geopolitics, energy security, industrial competition, critical minerals, and finance. He warned that decisions made outside the UN climate framework, such as trade and industrial policies, are increasingly shaping Africa’s development options.
“If our climate diplomacy is not aligned with our energy needs and industrial ambitions, we risk locking ourselves into pathways that reproduce dependency rather than transformation,” he said.
Reflecting on outcomes from COP30, Dr Amoah highlighted three priority areas for Africa: the Just Transition Mechanism, climate trade dialogue, and climate finance. He stressed that Africa’s interpretation of a just transition must go beyond worker protection to include manufacturing solar panels, batteries, and hydrogen components locally, as well as processing critical minerals on African soil.
On trade, he cautioned that unilateral measures such as carbon border taxes and green subsidies are already reshaping global competitiveness, posing risks to African economies. He urged the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to serve as a platform to strengthen regional markets while preserving policy space for green industrial strategies.
Turning to finance, Dr Amoah underscored the responsibility of developed countries under the Paris Agreement to provide resources to developing nations. He said climate finance must be predictable, patient, and capable of addressing Africa’s high cost of capital and debt challenges. He called for a shift from fragmented project funding to regional investment platforms that can transform entire sectors.
Dr Amoah reaffirmed the AGN’s readiness to ensure Africa’s climate diplomacy supports industrial ambitions and economic transformation. He also engaged with partners including the International Organisation for Migration, UNEP, UNECA, AfCFTA, and the Green Climate Fund.
Partners pledged continued support, with UNEP’s Africa Regional Director Rose Mwebaza promising to strengthen Africa’s coordination and preparedness in global climate negotiations.
